Opinion
Column

WRONG! Many myths surround slavery

Once over the Mason-Dixon Line fugitive slaves were not free. Slavery was legal in border states and many northern states. As well there weren’t any sign posts leading to safe houses, no storefronts handing out information. Too much credit is given, in books and movies, to white people who assisted the fugitives. The scene in the sappy, sentimental movie Twelve Years a Slave where Brad Pitt, a landowner in the South is spouting off romantic nonsense about love and freedom to his racist, slave owning neighbor is pure hokum. To have done so would have immediately led to a beating which would have only been the beginning of his problems. Those people were virulently and violent racist, and that is a state of affairs that now displays itself in another ways; the rash of murders by white cops of black citizens, for instance.

On the other hand there is a strong revisionist trend among contemporary black historians to treat the activities of white as being inconsequential. Many whites who did good deeds at great personal risk are overlooked. One such is the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who gave money generously to anti-slavery groups, black newspapers and to runaway slaves themselves.

The main ‘conductors’ along the route were other blacks. The number of white people who supplied refuge, food, lodging and advice is greatly over estimated. The real heroes were the slaves who had escaped to freedom then went back to the South, to lead others north. Probably the greatest of these is a woman who although an icon to blacks is little known or acknowledged by whites. This is Harriet Tubman who repeatedly went back. While doing so she and others disseminated information to other slaves.

Dreams of reaching cities particularly in New England where blacks might wander at will was mainly illusory. Blacks seen at large were freed slaves with the papers to prove it. These papers were a much valued property. Theft was prominent, not only by fugitives but also by whites who would sell them to fugitives or their helpers.

Crossing the border into Canada was no guarantee of safety. Despite misconceptions there was slavery in Canada. Although most of it was slavery of native peoples, mainly by other native peoples, there was also the enslavement of blacks. Much of this flourished in Nova Sotia but slavery was predominant in Quebec and had been since the seventeenth century, and New France. Estimates from the mid-nineteenth century indicate that ninety percent of all black slaves were held in Quebec.

Natives had been in the black slave trade since the mid-17th century. This had as well been a tradition back in America where blacks were paid bounties for every captured fugitive.

In Canada, and locally, one of the foremost native slave traders and slave owners was the renowned Joseph Brant, Chief of Tyendinaga Mohawk. His first venture into the field was purchasing a seven year old orphan girl daughter of freed slaves, who had been kidnapped by whites in upper New York State. Rather than return the girl to her parents, Brant put her to work.

Her name was Sophia Pooley.

Soon enough Brant was expanding his slavery operations, importing men, women and children from the state of Virginia.

There were great differences in the treatment of slaves in the two countries. Unlike the United States slaves in Canada were able to seek education, to read books and attend school. Their marriages were recognized by law and they had legal representation. That prejudice existed, however, is undeniable.

The fact that slavery wasn’t as widespread in Canada as in America has a lot to do with economics. There was no plantation system and thus large numbers of slaves were not necessary. Canadians shouldn’t be too proud of their race relations.